By: Deborah Johnson Wood
A neighborhood design charrette sponsored by the Creston Neighborhood Association last December has yielded intriguing results. Design Plus, the consultants on the project, revealed a proposed design for the Creston Business Corridor to nearly forty residents, business owners, neighborhood association staff, and city staffers at a meeting last Thursday at Palmer Elementary School.
Gateways at either end of the corridor—Leonard and Plainfield and Dean and Plainfield—and a core business district at Plainfield and Coit, were identified for the initial investments. Suggested improvements include pocket parks, trees, signage, decorative lampposts, new pedestrian crossings, and traffic calming elements.
"The corridor is a mile long," said Jim Horman of Design Plus. "You can't affect the whole corridor all at once and use the development money wisely. We recommended targeting the gateways, and investing money in the business core. That will act as a catalyst to develop the rest of the corridor."
A proposal to close Coit between Plainfield and Quimby and create a pedestrian plaza sparked interest. Stationary artwork, trees, and benches would stimulate foot and bicycle traffic and strengthen the businesses along the plaza. The plaza could also be a focal point for performance art or an open-air market.
Next steps will be to identify potential projects such as traffic calming or signage, prioritize those projects, and assign groups to lead the various efforts.
The Creston Corridor Initiative Design Charrette final report is posted on the Creston Neighborhood Association's web site at www.crestongr.org/news.
Source: Jim Horman, Design Plus
www.design-plus.com
Renderings courtesy of Design Plus
Deborah Johnson Wood is the Development News Editor for Rapid Growth. She can be reached at [email protected].
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